[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 135 (Thursday, July 16, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Page 34558]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-16904]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Telecommunications and Information Administration

RIN: 0660-ZA01


Broadband Technology Opportunities Program

AGENCY: National Telecommunications and Information Administration, 
U.S. Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of funds availability and solicitation of applications; 
publication of OMB control number for information collection.

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SUMMARY: The National Telecommunications and Information Administration 
(NTIA) announces approval by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
of the collection of information requirements contained a Notice of 
Funds Availability (NOFA) for the Broadband Technology Opportunities 
Program (BTOP) published on July 9, 2009.

DATES: Comments on the collection of information requirements in the 
BTOP NOFA are due by August 31, 2009.

ADDRESSES: Comments regarding burden hour estimates or other aspects of 
the collection of information associated with BTOP should be directed 
to Gwellnar Banks, Department of Commerce, Room 7845, 14th and 
Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230 (or via electronic mail 
at [email protected]).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information regarding the BTOP, 
contact Anthony Wilhelm, Deputy Associate Administrator, Office of 
Telecommunications and Information Applications, National 
Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S. Department of 
Commerce, by telephone at (202) 482-2048 or via electronic mail at 
[email protected]. You may obtain additional information regarding 
applications for BTOP via the Internet at http://www.ntia.doc.gov/broadbandgrants/.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On July 9, 2009, NTIA along with the Rural 
Utilities Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, published a Notice 
of Funds Availability (NOFA) (74 FR 33104) announcing procedures for 
broadband grant and loan programs established pursuant to the American 
Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), Pub. L. No. 111-5, 123 
Stat. 115 (2009). NTIA established the Broadband Technology 
Opportunities Program (BTOP) to make available grants for deploying 
broadband infrastructure in unserved and underserved areas in the 
United States, enhancing broadband capacity at public computer centers, 
and promoting sustainable broadband adoption projects.
    The application requirements for the BTOP contained in the NOFA are 
an information collection subject to the requirements of the Paperwork 
Reduction Act. However, when the NOFA was submitted for publication, 
the collection of information had not yet been approved by the Office 
of Management and Budget (OMB). Subsequently, NTIA received OMB 
approval for this collection of information. NTIA announces that the 
collection of information is approved under OMB Control Number 0660-
0031, with an expiration date of January 31, 2010. This collection of 
information was approved by OMB in accordance with the emergency 
processing provisions under 5 CFR Sec.  1320.13 to allow NTIA to 
fulfill its ARRA requirements.
    In the BTOP NOFA, NTIA requested public comments on the collection 
of information specifically for the BTOP Infrastructure, Public 
Computer Center, and Sustainable Adoption programs. (See 74 FR at 33128 
- 33129). The comments requested will be utilized as a part of a 
request by NTIA, if it decides to continue to use this collection past 
the approved emergency request clearance time period. At that time, 
NTIA would resubmit a collection of information request to OMB in 
accordance with the review process provided in the regulations 
implementing the Paperwork Reduction Act. A specific comment deadline 
was inadvertently not included in the BTOP NOFA and is hereby announced 
in this notice. Comments are due by August 31, 2009.

    Dated: July 10, 2009.
Kathy D. Smith,
Chief Counsel, National Telecommunications and Information 
Administration.
[FR Doc. E9-16904 Filed 7-15-09; 8:45 am]
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